Wrapped display package



Dec. 5, 1961 United States Patent 3,011,692 WRAPPED DlSPLAYPACKAGE Ralph L. Nafziger, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Interstate Bakeries Corporation, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 21, 1953, Ser. No. 729,631 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-37) This invention relates to wrapped display package and more particularly to a wrapped loaf of bread wherein the wrapper is folded upon itself at the end of the loaf and an end seal comprising a separate sheet of smaller area is applied over the wrapper folded portions. Since it is such end seal that is most clearly visible when the loaves are stacked crosswise on a shelf or the like, it is common for such end seal to carry an advertisement or other visual display matter identifying the loaf as to the brand or the baker.

The present invention provides an improved wrapped package of bread, for example, including an end seal device of the class hereinabove referred to that has an added display feature so as to render the loaf more readily noticeable by the prospective purchaser, such as a housewife, when shopping, and that, at the same time, provides additional display surfaces for advertising or other publicity matter with respect to the bread or its baker.

In an important and novel aspect, the invention contemplates the combination with the folds of the wrapper at the end of the loaf of an end seal therefor embodying a booklet-form device having at least two leaves including a back leaf and a front leaf, the front leaf being secured to the back leaf on one common edge of each leaf and the back leaf being sealed to the wrapper folded end, the front leaf hanging free except for the attachment to the back leaf along the said one edge, and thereby functioning in the nature of a flag that attracts attention to the package by reason of the three dimensional characteristics thus given to the end seal device, it being well known that three dimensional displays have marked enhanced interest to the observer.

A further advantage of the present device is that a second or outer leaf of the booklet-like end seal provides something which the purchaser may readily take hold of to remove the end seal from the package preparatory to wholly or partially unwrapping the loaf for access to theA bread therein. If desired, it may be arranged so that the tearing off of the end seal by means of the outer freely hanging leaf thereof also starts the process of partially tearing or unfolding the wrapper end, it being a common practice by purchasers to leave the body of the wrapper around the bread while slices thereof are removed from the end thus opened and aiding in preserving its natural freshness.

The plural leaf booklet-like end seal device of the present invention also advantageously employs a leaf or page that may be torn off from the package without destroying it so that additional publicity or reading matter is left in the hands of the user, which such reading matter might contain hints as to eating habits in relation to health, for example, that would be of permanent interest to the purchaser and that might be preserved after the bread package itself has been used and discarded.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawing, showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention, and in which drawings:

FIGURE l shows a wrapped package in the form of a loaf of bread having the end seal device of the present invention applied thereto;

' FIGURE 2 is an end View of the package of FIG. l with the booklet-like end seal device opened up; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view somewhat similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the initiation of removal of the end seal device from the package.

Referring in detail to the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, the numeral 11 indicates a wrapped package as a whole, here shown in the form of a wrapped loaf of bread, having the wrapper 12 thereon which may be of any suitable material such as waxed paper, cellophane, or the like. The bread within the loaf is generally pre-sliced as indicated by the phantom lines 13. rlhe wrapper 12, in accordance with the usual bread wrapping practice, has ends that are folded upon themselves at the end 14 of the load as at 15, these wrapper ends overlapping in the usual manner so as to constitute a continuous imperforate closure for the'contained bread.

In accordance with the present invention, applied over the folded ends 15 of the wrapper 12, at 14', is the bookletlike end seal device 16 having a plurality of leaves, in this instance two such leaves 17 and 18. The first or back leaf 17 is sealed in any suitable manner, as with adhesive, and with or without heat, to the loaf end 14 over the wrapper folded ends 15. Preferably the leaf 17 is so sealed and attached continuously, or, in other Words, without leaving any free edges of the back leaf 17.

The second or outer leaf 18 of the booklet-like end seal device 18 is attached to the inner leaf 17 only along a common edge 19 of the leaves and preferably the left` hand vertical edge as shown in the drawing, so that the front leaf 18, except for such attachment 19, hangs freely from the package, and normally slightly projecting therefrom in a plane transversely oblique to the plane of the back leaf 17, so as to serve somewhat in the nature of a ag having the purpose and effect of attracting the attention of the shopper or prospective purchaser to the package.

Further in aordance with the present invention, not only may the surface 2t? of the back leaf, but also the full inside surface or page 2l of the front leaf 18, carry reading matter. Of course further identification or other reading matter may appear on the outer surface or page 2 2 of the front leaf 18.

Thus, the double leaf end seal 16 provides a device in the nature of a booklet which is attached to the loaf somewhat as seen in FIGURE l but which may be opened up as shown in FIGURE 2 to place both leaves 17 and 18 in the same plane, or approximately the same plane, for ease of reading the printed matter such as 23 on page 2O and 24 on the page 2l. A display identification may appear on page 22 such as indicated at 25. It will be underable kind, will cause it to return to the position shown in Y FIGURE l, with the front leaf 18 partially closed on the back leaf 17 but desirably standing partly away therefrom so as to again act somewhat as a flag As suggested in FIG. 3, when it is desired to open the package, as for example when a housewife has returned home therewith, the front leaf 18 of the end seal device 16 may be pulled upon in the direction of the arrow 26 to pull the device away from the end of the loaf as at 27 adjacent the common edge 19, the front leaf 18 thereby providing a finger hold for initiating the opening of the package and making it unnecessary to use a thumbnail or fingernail to pry up the end seal. Further traction on the Y front leaf will pull the entire end seal device 16 away from the end of the loaf or a sufficient amount thereof so that the folded ends 15 of the wrapper may be readily unfolded to afford access to the slices of bread in the package, or the wrapper -folds may tear apart simultaneously. i

So constructed and arranged, there is here disclosed a useful and novel WrappedV display package including a highly useful end seal device that has marked utility om a standpoint of both merchandising of the package and handling thereof by the purchaser. An illustrative embodiment ofthe invention having been described, in accordance with the statutes, such changes may be made, including modifications or additions, as fall within the scope of the appended claim with- Yout departing fromthe invention.

Vhat is here claimed is:

A Wrapped display package with flag-like end seal and containing a sliced loaf ofbread, comprising, a Wrapper having implicated folds on an end thereof, a booklet-like end seal device including a back leaf and a front leaf,

said backleaf being adhered on its back face to said folds to provide a seal therefor, said front leaf being integrally and imperforately continuously connected to said back leaf along one common edge only of the leaves, said front leaf otherwise being free of said back leaf and hanging therefrom in a plane non-parallel therewith, whereby to provide both a ag eect for attracting attention to the package and a nger-hold element for pulling olf said back leaf from the wrapper to loosen the folds to open the package, and whereby the front `face of the back leaf and both the back and front faces of the front leaf may carry publicity matter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Elsman Oct. 26, 1954 

